Sourced from ETS
TOEFL Band 2.5: What It Means (2026 Format)
Written by the Reach120 research teamReviewed
An overall 2.5 aligns with CEFR A2 and corresponds to 34–43 on the previous 0–120 scale. ETS pairs it with IELTS 5.0.
Band 2.5 at a glance
- CEFR
- A2
- Previous 0–120 scale
- 34–43
- ETS publishes 34+.
- IELTS pairing
- 5.0
Source: ETS — TOEFL iBT score scale update (for institutions), read 2026-08-06.
If an institution still lists a 0–120 requirement
ETS publishes this institution-requirement recommendation only for bands 5.0, 4.5, 4.0 and 3.5 (previous 100, 90, 80 and 70). It publishes no rewritten-requirement row at 2.5 — an institution's own current policy is the authority on what it accepts.
This is ETS's own requirement-rewriting recommendation for institutions, not a statement about what any specific program requires or what a test taker is qualified for — confirm the current requirement with the institution itself.
Common questions
- What CEFR level is a TOEFL band 2.5?
- ETS aligns TOEFL band 2.5 with CEFR A2.
- What is band 2.5 on the previous 0–120 scale?
- ETS states the transition-period comparable score for band 2.5 is 34+ on the 0–120 scale (published range 34–43); the score report shows the midpoint, about 39.